Before Heaven
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:17-19)
As Christians, as members of Christ’s Church, we must be unequivocal in the notion that Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem the lives of those in it. And that redemption is not just about saving souls bound for heaven; it is also about changing, reversing, and redeeming the world and the conditions in it right here and right now.
If following Jesus was only about going to heaven when we die, we would just go straight to heaven once we experienced salvation. But that’s not the case at all. Instead, the Lord leaves us here on earth so that we can make a difference for His kingdom, so we can tell others about the hope He offers, and so we can point others towards Him so that they might have a relationship with Him as well.
Peter had a revelation that Jesus was more than a teacher, itinerant preacher, and philosopher. He was the Anointed One. He was God’s chosen man—God’s appointed messenger to save souls, redeem systems, restore hope, and change the world. That’s the truth upon which we are built. When we sing, “On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand,” we are affirming that the theological foundation of the Church rests upon a proper recognition of who Jesus was and who Jesus is.
So let’s take that recognition and turn it into action. Let’s not stop at understanding who Jesus is on our own. Let’s take that knowledge and that wisdom and share it with others so that they might come to the same understanding. And then we can look forward to what a beautiful day it will be when we can spend eternity in heaven together with the people we shared Jesus with.
As Christians, as members of Christ’s Church, we must be unequivocal in the notion that Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem the lives of those in it. And that redemption is not just about saving souls bound for heaven; it is also about changing, reversing, and redeeming the world and the conditions in it right here and right now.
If following Jesus was only about going to heaven when we die, we would just go straight to heaven once we experienced salvation. But that’s not the case at all. Instead, the Lord leaves us here on earth so that we can make a difference for His kingdom, so we can tell others about the hope He offers, and so we can point others towards Him so that they might have a relationship with Him as well.
Peter had a revelation that Jesus was more than a teacher, itinerant preacher, and philosopher. He was the Anointed One. He was God’s chosen man—God’s appointed messenger to save souls, redeem systems, restore hope, and change the world. That’s the truth upon which we are built. When we sing, “On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand,” we are affirming that the theological foundation of the Church rests upon a proper recognition of who Jesus was and who Jesus is.
So let’s take that recognition and turn it into action. Let’s not stop at understanding who Jesus is on our own. Let’s take that knowledge and that wisdom and share it with others so that they might come to the same understanding. And then we can look forward to what a beautiful day it will be when we can spend eternity in heaven together with the people we shared Jesus with.
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February
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March
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